Ok..so we already found a replacement motorcycle - we might even take it home tomorrow!! This is exactly what it looks like. Very stylish...and orange my least favorite color. But Jan is partial to orange, so at least one of us is satisfied :).
Saturday, May 17, 2008
New Motorcycle
Ok..so we already found a replacement motorcycle - we might even take it home tomorrow!! This is exactly what it looks like. Very stylish...and orange my least favorite color. But Jan is partial to orange, so at least one of us is satisfied :).
Friday, May 16, 2008
Visit to the German Dentist
Yesterday Jan and I had our teach cleaned. I never loved the dentist, but I never faced it with great fear either. Now that has changed!!
The German dentist is much different from the American version.
Ok, so I don't have the best teeth technique. I brush with my electric tooth brush twice a day and rinse with Listerine, but flossing - er, not so much. After all both my tooth brush and Listerine tell me they are as good as flossing.... also, not so much.
First I walked in and the dentist asked me why my tooth in position 1 looked yellow. I of course, said, which tooth do you mean and attributed it to coffee. After a quick put freezing something on your teeth test - we learned that my tooth has no feeling. In fact, my tooth is dead!!!! And I need a root canal! And perhaps I can´t have root canal because the nerve might be calcified! And this is a big problem! This woman, after looking at me for 5 seconds, detected a problem and identified the cause after my American dentist said anything for years. I always was suspicious about that woman (something to do with almost paralyzing my face.)
She also told me that I got my implant at too young an age and that they did a shoddy job of bonding. Basically tsking and saying that it must be very different in the USA. Now excuse me, but my implant and bonding were done by very expensive dentists who have dental students observing them - so they must be good? Not so much.
This dentist also identified a cavity and filled it right then and there. Very convenient. And at 56 Euros, quite a bargain.
All well and good. Next the dental hygienist showed up and proceeded to do what can best be called torture. She told me, well, I´ll do my best but I can`t promise I can get everything else. Then she basically gouged out my gums. No pause, no does this hurt, no gum numbing gel!! It was incredibly painful and bloody. Horrible.
She sent me off with an admonishment that I better do something or it will only get worse. My mouth ached for the entire day. Needless to say, I flossed last night and I have already flossed today. Don´t want to mess with these German dentists.
The German dentist is much different from the American version.
Ok, so I don't have the best teeth technique. I brush with my electric tooth brush twice a day and rinse with Listerine, but flossing - er, not so much. After all both my tooth brush and Listerine tell me they are as good as flossing.... also, not so much.
First I walked in and the dentist asked me why my tooth in position 1 looked yellow. I of course, said, which tooth do you mean and attributed it to coffee. After a quick put freezing something on your teeth test - we learned that my tooth has no feeling. In fact, my tooth is dead!!!! And I need a root canal! And perhaps I can´t have root canal because the nerve might be calcified! And this is a big problem! This woman, after looking at me for 5 seconds, detected a problem and identified the cause after my American dentist said anything for years. I always was suspicious about that woman (something to do with almost paralyzing my face.)
She also told me that I got my implant at too young an age and that they did a shoddy job of bonding. Basically tsking and saying that it must be very different in the USA. Now excuse me, but my implant and bonding were done by very expensive dentists who have dental students observing them - so they must be good? Not so much.
This dentist also identified a cavity and filled it right then and there. Very convenient. And at 56 Euros, quite a bargain.
All well and good. Next the dental hygienist showed up and proceeded to do what can best be called torture. She told me, well, I´ll do my best but I can`t promise I can get everything else. Then she basically gouged out my gums. No pause, no does this hurt, no gum numbing gel!! It was incredibly painful and bloody. Horrible.
She sent me off with an admonishment that I better do something or it will only get worse. My mouth ached for the entire day. Needless to say, I flossed last night and I have already flossed today. Don´t want to mess with these German dentists.
Inspection
Today my English class was unexpectedly visited by a state inspector from Switzerland!!! Very stressful with my precocious, loving to say inappropriate and shocking things, students. During the time that he was there one student asked what a virgin was and they also had a short lived discussion of suicide bombers blowing themselves up and being perceived as heroes. All from the simple question: In current society, who do we consider to be heroes. Nothing is ever an innocent avenue for discussion with these kids. At least the lighter incident happened before he showed up!
It actually wasn´t that bad. He was a nice guy and quite interested in how the school works - what we do.
And - in other news - our new Piaggio (don't worry - before we actually received or payed for it) was found mutilated on the bottom of the Dreisam River. Hence no new roller for us. Aw well. Jan still wants to buy one, but now I am a bit disheartened.
It actually wasn´t that bad. He was a nice guy and quite interested in how the school works - what we do.
And - in other news - our new Piaggio (don't worry - before we actually received or payed for it) was found mutilated on the bottom of the Dreisam River. Hence no new roller for us. Aw well. Jan still wants to buy one, but now I am a bit disheartened.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Vespa
Jan and I are currently in the midsts of Ebay bidding on a Vespa (not really a Vespa but not quite a motorcycle either).
I have been having fantasies of riding off to a nearby lake in the sunset. Or of not having to power up the huge hill we live on top off with a backpack full of groceries whenever I want to go shopping.
So...
We even went and test drove it yesterday. This whole experience has shown me that I am not quite over the trauma of my jet ski accident when I was 15. The whole time I was on the bike (about 30 seconds in a garage), all I could think about was that having your face plow into concrete would be much less pleasant than falling into water.
We will see how the bidding goes...but maybe it is time to re evaluate and check out the cheap used cars market.
Or we can just keep walking and biking everywhere!
I have been having fantasies of riding off to a nearby lake in the sunset. Or of not having to power up the huge hill we live on top off with a backpack full of groceries whenever I want to go shopping.
So...
We even went and test drove it yesterday. This whole experience has shown me that I am not quite over the trauma of my jet ski accident when I was 15. The whole time I was on the bike (about 30 seconds in a garage), all I could think about was that having your face plow into concrete would be much less pleasant than falling into water.
We will see how the bidding goes...but maybe it is time to re evaluate and check out the cheap used cars market.
Or we can just keep walking and biking everywhere!
Sunday, May 4, 2008
May Day
Thursday, May 1st is Worker's Day in Europe - hence no work! I don't work on Thursdays anyway, but I had Friday off too...so it gives me a 5 day break.
May day originally looked like a day of helping Jan studying and hanging out on the balcony (we finally have nice weather). Around 5 I convinced Jan that we needed an ice cream break. There is an Italian gelateria about 10 minutes down the street. So we headed off. I had Rafaello (coconut) and Jan had yucky fruit flavors (lime and something peach like). Then we sat down at Zahringen Platz (a little square with benches) to enjoy.
After a while, we saw Jan's ex roomate and his girlfriend. It turns out that they were about to start a Geo Cache adventure and it started at Zahringen Platz. Of course we joined in.
Geo Caching is using GPS to move from one location to another. At each location there is a little riddle/puzzle to solve, and you use the information to get the coordinates for the next location. It is like a complicated scavenger hunt.
So 2 hours and a tour of Zahringen later, we found the cache and now we are hooked!
We are trying to find a cheap GPS machine.
May day originally looked like a day of helping Jan studying and hanging out on the balcony (we finally have nice weather). Around 5 I convinced Jan that we needed an ice cream break. There is an Italian gelateria about 10 minutes down the street. So we headed off. I had Rafaello (coconut) and Jan had yucky fruit flavors (lime and something peach like). Then we sat down at Zahringen Platz (a little square with benches) to enjoy.
After a while, we saw Jan's ex roomate and his girlfriend. It turns out that they were about to start a Geo Cache adventure and it started at Zahringen Platz. Of course we joined in.
Geo Caching is using GPS to move from one location to another. At each location there is a little riddle/puzzle to solve, and you use the information to get the coordinates for the next location. It is like a complicated scavenger hunt.
So 2 hours and a tour of Zahringen later, we found the cache and now we are hooked!
We are trying to find a cheap GPS machine.
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